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Tinubu Commissions 40,000-Metric-Tonne Benfruit Concentrate Plant in Benue
By: Fabian Apechihin
President Bola Tinubu on Saturday commissioned the 40,000-metric-tonne-per-day Benfruit Concentrate Plant in Makurdi, describing the facility as a major milestone in Nigeria’s drive toward agricultural processing, industrialisation and economic diversification.
The plant, owned by Bensono Fruits Processing Company Limited, was inaugurated as part of activities marking Benue State’s 50th anniversary.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, the President said the project aligns with the Federal Government’s commitment to promoting value addition in agriculture and strengthening local industries.
According to Tinubu, the plant’s large processing capacity is expected to generate thousands of jobs, stimulate economic activities, boost foreign exchange earnings and reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported fruit concentrate.
He commended the Benue State Government and the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC) for championing industrial development in the state and urged residents to continue supporting Governor Hyacinth Alia’s efforts to transform Benue into a leading industrial hub.
In his remarks, Governor Hyacinth Alia said the concentrate plant would help tackle the long-standing problem of post-harvest fruit losses by providing a reliable market for farmers across the state.
He noted that the factory would produce fruit concentrate for both domestic consumption and export, adding that it is one of several industrial projects completed by his administration over the past three years.
The governor listed the Benfruit Concentrate Plant, the fruit juice factory and the Food Basket Brewery among key projects aimed at strengthening the state’s economy, improving the livelihoods of orchard farmers and creating employment opportunities for young people.
Alia also praised the Group Managing Director of BIPC, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, as well as the company’s board and staff, for their dedication to completing the project. He assured residents that more development initiatives would be delivered across the state.
Earlier, Asemakaha said the facility would significantly reduce post-harvest fruit losses while supplying fruit concentrate to the local market and international buyers.
He disclosed that Nigeria spent about $68 billion on imported fruit concentrate in the past year, expressing confidence that the new plant would substantially reduce the country’s dependence on imports.
Describing the facility as one of the largest and most technologically advanced concentrate plants in West Africa, Asemakaha said it has a processing capacity of 40,000 metric tonnes per day.
He added that, beyond producing fruit concentrate for juice manufacturers, the plant would convert processing by-products into organic fertiliser, ensuring a zero-waste production system.
Asemakaha also thanked Governor Alia for reviving a project that had remained dormant for more than 18 years, describing the commissioning as a major breakthrough for Benue’s industrial and agricultural sectors.
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Kwara: Security Team Kills Two Bandits, Rescues Two Kidnap Victims
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
A security team, comprising operatives of DSS and forest guards, has rescued two victims of abduction in a forest between Oba Isin/Owa Onire area of isin and Ifelodun Local Government Areas of Kwara State.
The rescued victims are 16-year-old Fatima Azeez and Ibrahim Azeez who is five-year old.
The team also eliminated two armed bandits, while others escaped with severe injuries as the security forces stormed their hideouts, according to a report by DSS and local authorities.
The security team also recovered several items from the kidnappers, including one Ak-47 rifle; one single barrel; one fully loaded magazine with nine empty; mini-solar panel; and food items.
The rescue operation is connected to the multi-agency counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping efforts of the government.
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Kwara: Police Launch Investigations Into Killing Of Farmer On Farmland
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The Kwara State Police Command has commenced full-scale investigations into the killing of a farmer, Mr Azeez Garba, whose body was discovered on his farmland along the Owa-Onire axis, the boundary between Isanlu-Isin and Owu-Isin in Isin Local Government Area of the State.
The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, described the murder as “cruel, senseless and unacceptable,” and directed the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to intensify efforts to identify and arrest those behind the attack.
According to the police, preliminary investigations showed that the deceased left home for his farm in the morning but did not return, prompting his family members and local vigilantes to organise a search.
The search party reportedly found his motorcycle parked on the farmland before discovering his lifeless body a short distance away. Police said the victim had sustained deep machete cuts.
Reacting to the incident, CP Adekimi ordered investigators to deploy all available intelligence and investigative resources to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing.
“The killing is cruel, senseless and unacceptable,” the commissioner of Police said, assuring residents that the command would leave no stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Although no suspect had been arrested as of Monday, the command said all available leads were being diligently pursued.
The police also assured the bereaved family, the people of Isin Local Government Area and the general public that investigators were working tirelessly to track down everyone connected with the crime.
“The Kwara State Police Command remains unwavering in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state and will not relent until every person responsible for this reprehensible act is brought before the law,” the statement added.
The statement was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police.
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Kwara: Joint Security Team Arrests Alleged Cultist, Recovers Firearm
Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
A coordinated security operation involving the Kwara State Police Command, other security agencies and the Kwara State Polytechnic Security Unit has led to the arrest of a suspected cultist, Agboola Olamilekan, with a locally fabricated pistol recovered from him in Ilorin.
The operation, carried out as part of ongoing efforts to combat cultism and violent crimes across the state, was described by the police as another breakthrough in intelligence-driven policing aimed at dismantling criminal networks and reducing the circulation of illegal firearms.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, said the suspect was apprehended during the joint operation while in possession of the firearm.
According to the statement, the operation is part of the Command’s sustained strategy to disrupt cult-related activities and deny criminal elements the opportunity to operate within the state.
Commenting on the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, reaffirmed the Command’s determination to intensify the fight against cultism and other violent crimes.
“Every successful operation represents another step towards dismantling criminal networks and enhancing public safety across the state through proactive and intelligence-led policing,” the commissioner said.
The police disclosed that investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other suspected members of the criminal network linked to the suspect.
The Command added that it remains committed to advancing the policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, through intelligence-led policing, strategic collaboration with relevant stakeholders and sustained operations aimed at ensuring that those responsible for threatening the peace and security of Kwara State are brought to justice.
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